Number of PC gamers worldwide by category 2025

In 2020, low-end Games-as-a-Service (GaaS) PC gaming had the biggest audience, reaching nearly 1.7 million users during the the period. The second-largest PC gaming category based on audience size was premium GaaS with about 359.6 million users. The Games-as-a-Service (GaaS) business model refers to live service games that are continuously monetized post-purchase via in-game features such as premium passes, extra online content, and special gaming modes in order to encourage players to keep playing. For example, live services accounted for the majority of video game publisher Electric Arts' quarterly net bookings. In total, there were 1.75 billion PC gamers worldwide in 2020.

Number of PC gaming users worldwide from 2008 to 2025, by category (in millions)

Characteristic	Pay-to-Play Low End	Pay-to-Play Premium	GaaS Low-End	GaaS Premium
2025*	297.6	182.7	1,829.4	388.2
2024*	292.9	179.5	1,803.5	381.4
2023*	288.6	176.5	1,775.1	376.9
2022*	283.8	174.3	1,746.5	371.2
2021*	279.4	172.1	1,722.6	366.5
2020	275	169.8	1,695.2	359.6
2019	255.9	148.9	1,480.4	336.3
2018	255.8	143.9	1,434.5	326.2
2017	247.5	140.1	1,379.4	317.5
2016	238.6	135.7	1,339.6	306.2
2015	231.7	131	1,300.8	295.9
2014	224.2	126	1,259.8	285
2013	217.4	121.9	1,217.2	277.3
2012	211.3	117.1	1,180.8	267.8
2011	204.6	112.4	1,138.1	260.5
2010	199	108.5	1,098.9	253.1
2009	192.5	104.7	1,064	244.6
2008	186.8	101	1,026.9	233.6

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Release date

August 2021

More information

Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

2008 to 2020

Special properties

total users is not a sum of categories, users of multiple categories are only counted once

Supplementary notes

*Forecast

PC Pay-to-Play Low End: Games that have an upfront charge of $20 or less

PC Pay-to-Play Premium: Games that have an upfront charge of $20 or more (before sales or discounts)

PC GAAS Low-End: Games as a service (GAAS) that are free to play, have limited monetization and/or low system requirements

PC GAAS Premium: Games as a service (GAAS) that may initially be free but have an aggressive monetization model

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